What temperature must an arizona landlord provide?

Last updated 2026-07-26

what temperature is a landlord required to provide in arizona?

Arizona's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act doesn't set a specific minimum temperature number, like 68 degrees, the way some cold-climate states do. Instead, ARS 33-1324(A)(4) requires a landlord to "maintain in good and safe working order and condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and other facilities and appliances" supplied by the landlord ^[1]. That's a functional standard, not a thermostat reading. The idea is that if you provide a furnace or heat pump, it has to actually work well enough to heat the unit. If a tenant's furnace dies in January and you don't fix it in a reasonable time, that's a habitability violation even though no statute says "must maintain 65 degrees." Compare that to a state like Massachusetts, which has a hard number: the state sanitary code requires heat to be maintained at a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 64 at night from September 16 through June 14 ^[2]. Arizona has nothing like that on the books statewide. What Arizona does have is a heat-focused flip side: because summer heat can kill, most Arizona rental markets treat working air conditioning or evaporative cooling as a core habitability item, even though the statute doesn't call out cooling by a specific degree either. Bottom line for landlords: don't go looking for a magic number in Arizona state law, because there isn't one. Go looking for "does the system work," because that's the actual legal test.

does arizona law require air conditioning in rental units?

If you provide air conditioning or evaporative cooling as part of the rental, you have to keep it in working order under ARS 33-1324. Arizona doesn't have a statewide law that forces every landlord to install AC in a unit that never had it, but if the unit came with a cooling system, that system is now part of what you're contractually and legally obligated to maintain ^[1]. This matters more in Arizona than almost anywhere else in the country because of heat mortality. Maricopa County's public health department tracks heat-associated deaths every year, and the numbers are not small: Maricopa County confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in 2023, a record year, with the vast majority happening in the Phoenix metro area during the hottest summer months ^[3]. A broken AC unit in July isn't a comfort complaint in Arizona, it's a genuine safety issue, and courts and code officials tend to treat it that way. Some cities go further than the state floor. Phoenix's minimum housing standards, for example, require rental dwellings to have a mechanical ventilation or cooling system capable of maintaining a habitable temperature, and local code enforcement can act on non-functioning cooling as a code violation independent of any lease dispute ^[4]. If you own in Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, or another city with its own housing or rental code, check that code specifically. It can add teeth the state statute doesn't have.

what happens if a landlord doesn't fix a broken heater or ac unit?

Under ARS 33-1324, when a landlord fails to maintain a heating or cooling system after getting proper notice, the tenant has real remedies, more than a right to complain. The tenant can give written notice specifying the problem, and if the landlord doesn't act within a reasonable time (Arizona's general habitability repair statute, ARS 33-1361, references a 10-day cure window for many habitability issues, or a shorter window if there's an imminent threat to health and safety), the tenant can pursue remedies ^[1][5]. Those remedies under Arizona law can include terminating the lease, obtaining a court order requiring the repair, or in some situations arranging the repair and deducting a reasonable cost from rent. ARS 33-1364 specifically covers the tenant's right to "repair and deduct" when a landlord fails to comply with the maintenance duties in 33-1324, subject to dollar limits and notice requirements spelled out in that section ^[6]. For landlords, the practical lesson is speed. A slow response to a no-heat or no-AC call isn't just a tenant relations problem, it's the exact scenario the statute is built around. Document the repair timeline, keep receipts for HVAC service calls, and if a part is backordered, put that in writing to the tenant so there's a record you're acting in good faith rather than ignoring the issue.

do arizona cities have their own minimum temperature rules?

Some do, and this is where landlords get tripped up, because they check state law, see no specific number, and assume there's no number anywhere. City housing codes can and do add specifics on top of the state landlord-tenant act. Tucson's housing code, for instance, has historically required rental units to have heating facilities capable of maintaining a minimum room temperature, and Tucson enforces this through its Residential Rental Property Registration and inspection process, which layers city code on top of state law ^[7]. If you own in a city with mandatory rental registration or licensing, like Tucson, that city's own housing or property maintenance code is the first place to check for a hard number, not the state statute. Because these local rules change and vary by city, the honest answer for any individual landlord is: confirm with your city rental licensing office or housing code enforcement division before you assume state law is the only bar you need to clear. A city inspector doing a rental license inspection will apply the local code, and that code may specify degrees where the state statute doesn't. For landlords working through a city's licensing or inspection process, it helps to have a prep packet built around your specific city's requirements. That's the kind of thing our $79 City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet is meant to cover: pulling together the checklist items a given city's inspector actually looks for, heating and cooling systems included.

what can a landlord look at during an inspection?

A rental inspection, whether it's a city licensing inspection or a routine landlord walk-through, generally covers life-safety and habitability items: smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, electrical outlets and panels, plumbing fixtures and water heater condition, structural issues like exposed wiring or holes in walls, and yes, whether heating and cooling systems function ^[1][4]. What a landlord or inspector should not do is treat an inspection as a general search of a tenant's belongings or personal space beyond what's needed to check the condition of the unit and its systems. Arizona's ARS 33-1343 requires landlords to give a tenant at least two days' notice before entering to inspect, and entry has to happen at reasonable times ^[8]. A city code inspector operates under different authority than a landlord and typically needs tenant consent or a warrant to enter absent an emergency, since city inspectors aren't parties to the lease. For landlords in cities with mandatory licensing, the inspection checklist is usually published by the city itself, sometimes as a PDF or checklist attached to the rental license application. Reading that document before your first inspection saves a lot of wasted time and re-inspection fees.

who is responsible for a rental property walk-through inspection in california?

In California, the landlord is generally the party responsible for conducting a move-in and move-out inspection, and state law actually requires it in a specific form. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires landlords, upon request from the tenant, to conduct an initial inspection before the tenant moves out (before the tenancy ends) and give the tenant an itemized statement of repairs or cleaning needed to avoid deductions from the security deposit ^[9]. This is different from Arizona. Arizona's ARS 33-1321 addresses security deposits and requires an itemized list of deductions within 14 business days after the tenant moves out and delivers possession, but it does not require the same pre-move-out walk-through offer that California's statute does ^[10]. If you own property in both states, don't assume the process is identical: California's pre-move-out inspection right is a distinct legal requirement, more than good practice. For either state, the landlord is the one who has to document the unit's condition, ideally with photos and a signed checklist at move-in and move-out, because that documentation is what protects a security deposit deduction if it's ever disputed.

how much notice does a landlord have to give before entering or inspecting?

In Arizona, ARS 33-1343 requires a landlord to give the tenant at least two days' notice of intent to enter, and entry must happen at reasonable times, except in cases of emergency ^[8]. The statute specifically limits how a landlord can use the right of entry, stating that a landlord "shall not abuse the right of access or use it to harass the tenant." This two-day notice period applies to routine inspections, repairs, and showing the unit to prospective tenants or buyers. It does not apply if there's an actual emergency, like a burst pipe or a fire, where the landlord can enter without notice to address the immediate danger. Other states use different windows. California generally requires 24 hours' written notice for non-emergency entry under Civil Code Section 1954 ^[11]. If you manage properties across state lines, keep a state-by-state notice chart, because getting this wrong can turn into a harassment or illegal entry claim even when your intentions were fine.

how to become a landlord

Becoming a landlord in most places doesn't require a special license just to own a rental property and lease it out, but it does require you to clear a few practical and sometimes legal hurdles before you take on a tenant. First, you need a property that's actually rentable: zoned correctly, insured, and in compliance with local building and housing codes. Second, in cities with mandatory rental registration or licensing, which is common in a growing number of municipalities, you have to register the unit and often pass an inspection before you can legally lease it. Skipping that step is how landlords end up with fines or an inability to enforce a lease in court. Third, you need to understand your state's landlord-tenant act, since it governs security deposits, notice periods, habitability duties, and eviction procedures, and these rules vary a lot state to state. Most new landlords underestimate the paperwork side: a compliant lease, a move-in inspection checklist, a clear process for handling maintenance requests, and a plan for handling security deposits within your state's legal deadline. Getting these systems in place before you have a tenant saves enormous headaches later. See our related pages on landlord basics and what a landlord is for more on the fundamentals.

what is a landlord, and what is landlording?

A landlord is the owner of a property (or their authorized agent) who leases that property to a tenant in exchange for rent. Legally, a landlord is a party to a lease or rental agreement, with rights (to collect rent, to enter under proper notice, to evict for lease violations following the correct legal process) and duties (to maintain habitability, to handle security deposits properly, to follow fair housing law). "Landlording" is the informal term for the ongoing work of managing that role: collecting rent, screening tenants, handling maintenance and repair requests, staying current on local rental registration or licensing rules, and keeping the property compliant with housing codes. It's part business operation, part legal compliance, and part maintenance management. The amount of "landlording" work varies enormously depending on whether you self-manage one unit or use a property manager for a portfolio. But even with a property manager, the legal responsibilities (habitability, fair housing, proper notice) sit with the landlord as the owner, more than the management company. For a broader look at what the role involves day to day, see what landlording actually involves.

what rights do tenants have without a lease?

A tenant without a written lease, often called a tenant-at-will or a month-to-month tenant depending on state law, still has legal rights. In most states, including Arizona, an oral or implied rental agreement still creates a landlord-tenant relationship covered by the state's landlord-tenant act. Arizona's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies to rental agreements broadly, and ARS 33-1301 defines a rental agreement to include both written and oral agreements for the use of a dwelling unit ^[12]. That means a tenant without a written lease in Arizona is generally still entitled to a habitable unit under ARS 33-1324, proper notice before entry under ARS 33-1343, and proper handling of any security deposit under ARS 33-1321, even without paper documentation of those terms. What they typically lack is defined terms for things like rent amount changes or lease-end dates, which makes disputes harder to resolve and easier to end up in court over. For landlords, this cuts both ways: without a written lease, you also can't point to specific clauses to enforce things like pet policies, guest limits, or subletting restrictions, because there's no document establishing them. If you're renting to someone informally, even a simple written agreement dramatically reduces the risk of a dispute over terms nobody wrote down.

what a landlord cannot do in ohio

Ohio's landlord-tenant law, codified at Ohio Revised Code Chapter 5321, sets specific limits on landlord conduct. A landlord in Ohio cannot retaliate against a tenant for exercising a legal right, such as complaining to a housing authority about a code violation; ORC 5321.02 specifically prohibits a landlord from increasing rent, decreasing services, bringing eviction proceedings, or terminating a rental agreement in retaliation for a tenant's good-faith complaint ^[13]. Ohio landlords also cannot shut off utilities, change locks, or remove a tenant's belongings to force them out without going through the formal eviction process in court; this kind of "self-help eviction" is illegal in Ohio and in nearly every other state. ORC 5321.15 specifically bars a landlord from using force, threats of force, or deprivation of essential services to compel a tenant to leave ^[14]. Ohio landlords also have habitability duties under ORC 5321.04 that mirror much of what Arizona requires: maintaining the premises in a fit and habitable condition, keeping common areas safe, and maintaining electrical, plumbing, heating, and other systems in good working order . Failing to do that, then trying to force the tenant out through self-help methods instead of a legal repair-and-deduct process or eviction filing, is exactly the combination Ohio law is designed to prevent.

why do landlords require renters insurance?

Landlords require renters insurance mainly to shift liability risk away from their own property insurance policy. A standard landlord (dwelling) insurance policy typically covers the physical structure and the landlord's own liability, but it usually does not cover a tenant's personal belongings or the tenant's personal liability for incidents that happen inside the unit, like a guest getting injured or a kitchen fire the tenant caused. Requiring renters insurance means that if a tenant's negligence causes damage (an overflowing bathtub that damages the unit below, for example), the tenant's own policy is the first line of financial responsibility rather than the landlord's insurer or the landlord's own pocket. It's a fairly cheap requirement to impose: renters insurance policies commonly run in the range of roughly $15 to $30 a month depending on coverage amount and location, though actual costs vary by insurer, state, and coverage limits. Requiring it also protects the tenant, honestly. Without their own policy, a tenant whose belongings are destroyed in a fire or burst pipe has no coverage at all, since the landlord's policy won't reimburse them for personal property. Many landlords write the renters insurance requirement directly into the lease, along with a minimum liability coverage amount, and ask for a copy of the policy's declarations page annually.

what can a landlord look at during an inspection, and what should landlords in licensing cities expect?

In cities that require rental licensing or registration, a city inspector will typically check things beyond simple habitability: functioning smoke and CO detectors, secure handrails and stairs, proper egress from bedrooms (a window large enough to escape through in a fire), electrical panel condition, visible plumbing leaks, pest evidence, and yes, whether heating (and in some cities cooling) systems work as designed ^[4][7]. What a landlord should have ready before that kind of inspection: proof of a working HVAC system (a recent service receipt helps), current smoke and CO detector batteries or hardwired units per local code, no obvious code violations like missing outlet covers or exposed wiring, and clear egress paths. Cities publish their own checklists, and those checklists genuinely differ: a two-family walk-up in one city might need different documentation than a single-family rental in another. This is the exact gap our $79 City Rental License & Inspection Prep Packet is built to close: instead of guessing what your specific city's inspector will check, you get a packet organized around your city's actual licensing and inspection requirements, so you're not caught off guard by something as basic (and as commonly overlooked) as an inspector testing whether the heat actually kicks on.

Frequently asked questions

Does Arizona law set a specific minimum temperature for rental units?

No. ARS 33-1324 requires landlords to keep heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems in good working order, but it doesn't specify a degree number like 68 degrees. Some cities layer their own housing code numbers on top of the state statute, so check your specific city's rental or housing code as well.

Is a landlord in Arizona required to provide air conditioning?

State law doesn't force a landlord to install AC where none exists, but if a cooling system is already part of the unit, ARS 33-1324 requires the landlord to keep it in working order. Given Arizona's heat risk (Maricopa County recorded 645 heat-associated deaths in 2023), a broken AC unit is treated as a serious habitability issue in practice.

How many days does a landlord in Arizona have to fix a broken heater or AC?

Arizona's habitability statute (ARS 33-1361) generally gives landlords a reasonable time to cure after written notice, often referenced as around 10 days for many issues, shorter if there's an imminent health or safety threat. Tenants can pursue remedies including repair-and-deduct under ARS 33-1364 if the landlord doesn't act.

How much notice does a landlord have to give before entering a rental unit in Arizona?

Arizona law (ARS 33-1343) requires at least two days' notice before non-emergency entry, and entry has to happen at reasonable times. The statute bars landlords from abusing the entry right or using it to harass a tenant. Emergencies, like a burst pipe, don't require advance notice.

What can a landlord look at during a rental inspection?

A typical inspection covers habitability and safety items: smoke and CO detectors, plumbing and electrical condition, structural issues, egress windows, and whether heating and cooling systems function. Licensing cities publish their own inspection checklists, which can go beyond the baseline state habitability statute.

Who is responsible for a rental property walk-through inspection in California?

The landlord is responsible for conducting it. California Civil Code Section 1950.5 requires landlords, if the tenant requests it, to do an initial inspection before move-out and give the tenant an itemized list of needed repairs or cleaning to avoid deposit deductions.

What is landlording?

Landlording is the ongoing work of owning and managing a rental property: collecting rent, screening tenants, handling repairs and maintenance requests, staying current on rental registration or licensing requirements, and complying with habitability and fair housing law. It ranges from a side task for one unit to a full operation for a larger portfolio.

What is a landlord, legally speaking?

A landlord is the owner of rental property, or their authorized agent, who is a party to a lease or rental agreement with a tenant. Legally, a landlord has both rights (collecting rent, entering with proper notice, pursuing eviction through the correct legal process) and duties (habitability, fair housing compliance, proper security deposit handling).

What rights does a tenant have without a written lease?

Even without a written lease, an oral or implied rental agreement still creates legal protections under most state landlord-tenant acts. In Arizona, ARS 33-1301 covers oral rental agreements, so the tenant still gets habitability rights, entry-notice rights, and security deposit protections, just without written terms defining rent changes or lease-end dates.

What can a landlord not do in Ohio?

Ohio landlords cannot retaliate against a tenant for a good-faith complaint (ORC 5321.02) and cannot use self-help tactics like shutting off utilities, changing locks, or removing belongings to force a tenant out (ORC 5321.15). Ohio law also requires landlords to keep rental units fit and habitable under ORC 5321.04.

Why do landlords require renters insurance?

Landlords require it to shift liability for a tenant's personal property and personal liability away from the landlord's own insurance policy. A landlord's dwelling policy generally doesn't cover a tenant's belongings or a tenant-caused injury to a guest, so renters insurance fills that gap for both parties.

How much notice does a landlord have to give in general (beyond Arizona)?

Notice periods vary by state. Arizona requires two days for entry under ARS 33-1343. California generally requires 24 hours' written notice under Civil Code 1954. Always check your specific state's landlord-tenant statute, since notice requirements for entry, lease termination, and rent increases differ.

Do Arizona cities like Tucson or Phoenix have their own heat rules for rentals?

Some do. Tucson enforces its own housing code requirements through its rental property registration and inspection program, and Phoenix's minimum housing standards address mechanical cooling and ventilation systems. These local rules can be more specific than the state statute, so confirm with your city's rental licensing office directly.

How does someone become a landlord?

You need a property that's zoned and insured for rental use, compliance with local building and housing codes, registration or licensing if your city requires it, and a working knowledge of your state's landlord-tenant act covering deposits, notice, habitability, and eviction procedure. Most new landlords underestimate the compliance paperwork side of the job.

Sources

1. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1324: Landlord's duty to maintain heating, cooling, electrical, and plumbing systems in good working order
2. Mass.gov, State Sanitary Code Chapter II heat requirements: Massachusetts requires heat at a minimum of 68°F daytime and 64°F nighttime from Sept 16 to June 14
3. Maricopa County Department of Public Health, Heat Surveillance Report: Maricopa County confirmed 645 heat-associated deaths in 2023
4. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1361: Tenant remedies and cure periods when landlord fails to maintain habitability
5. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1364: Tenant's repair-and-deduct remedy when landlord fails to comply with maintenance duties
6. City of Tucson, Residential Rental Property Registration: Tucson enforces housing code requirements including heating through rental property registration and inspection
7. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1343: Two days' notice required before landlord entry, entry restricted to reasonable times, no abuse of access
8. California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1950.5: California requires landlord to offer initial move-out inspection and itemized statement of repairs/cleaning
9. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1321: Arizona requires itemized deposit deduction list within 14 business days after move-out
10. California Legislative Information, Civil Code Section 1954: California requires 24 hours' notice for non-emergency landlord entry
11. Arizona State Legislature, ARS 33-1301: Definition of rental agreement includes oral and written agreements for use of a dwelling unit
12. Ohio Laws and Rules, ORC 5321.02: Ohio prohibits landlord retaliation against tenants for good-faith complaints
13. Ohio Laws and Rules, ORC 5321.15: Ohio bars landlords from using force or utility shutoffs to force a tenant out
14. Ohio Laws and Rules, ORC 5321.04: Ohio landlord duty to maintain premises in fit and habitable condition including heating systems